It’s Not Me, It’s You: 6 Signs It’s Time to Break Up With Your Real Estate Agent
For most people, their home is their most valuable asset, and when it’s time to sell, they need a solid relationship with their real estate agent. But if your home has been on the market for a while, you have to ask yourself: Is your real estate agent doing everything they can to help sell your home? Even if you fully vetted the agent before entering into an agreement, sometimes relationships just don’t work out.
Here are some signs it might be time to end things and move on.
#1—Your Neighbor’s House Sold Weeks Ago
If you’ve been watching people move in and out all over your neighborhood, but your home is still on the market, you have to wonder why. Sure, it could be that your house isn’t updated or is missing key features that are important to potential buyers. But there could be reasons that point directly to your real estate agent, including pricing and marketing.
#2—You Can’t Find Your Home Online
Most people today find houses online before they even look at them, so if yours isn’t showing up in search results, this is a problem—and there is rarely any reason for it other than insufficient marketing. At a minimum, your home should be on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), but it should also appear elsewhere.
#3—Your Online Listing Doesn’t Show Your Home in its Best Light
Perhaps you can find your home online—but the photos are bad, and there aren’t a lot of details on the property. First impressions are everything, and potential buyers may swipe left before they even give your home a chance.
#4—You Can’t Remember the Last Time Your Agent Showed Your Property
A home that is well priced and located in a solid neighborhood should get plenty of showings in most markets. If it’s not, it could be that your agent isn’t marketing your house the way they should be. (And see #3, above.) A good agent should be willing to host open houses and willing to work one-on-one with interested buyers to increase the number of showings.
#5—Your Agent Doesn’t Remember Key Details About Your Home
Ask your agent to tell you about your home, including its size, features, and overall design. If your agent cannot accurately answer these questions, it likely means they aren’t putting in enough time on your home. It is expected that agents have a handful of listings at any given time, but this doesn’t mean you are not entitled to high-quality service.
#6—Your Agent Takes Too Long to Respond
Do you spend a lot of time waiting for a return phone call, email, or text? If your agent isn’t responding to you in a timely manner or ghosting you for days on end, chances are they aren’t responding to potential buyers or other agents in a timely manner either. You have a right to expect a response within a few hours—or at least within 24 hours. This could be another situation where the agent is too busy or could be working a second job. Either situation does not set you up for a suitable relationship.
Listing your home for sale is a big step. Before you sign any contract with a real estate agent, make sure you have the ability to walk away from the relationship within a reasonable time frame if it’s not working out for you.
Are you looking for the ideal real estate relationship? Swipe right with experienced New York real estate agent Sharon Held at Compass: [email protected].
This article was originally posted on Medium.com. Find it here.